NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A Good Morning America Book Club Pick The author of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians takes you from Capri to NYC, where Lucie Tang Churchill finds herself torn between two men—and two very different cultures.On her very first morning on the jewel-like island of Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can’t stand him. … Capri, Lucie Churchill sets eyes on George Zao and she instantly can’t stand him. She can’t stand it when he gallantly offers to trade hotel rooms with her so that she can have a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea, she can’t stand that he knows more about Casa Malaparte than she does, and she really can’t stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin Charlotte.
The daughter of an American-born Chinese mother and a blue-blooded New York father, Lucie has always sublimated the Asian side of herself in favor of the white side, and she adamantly denies having feelings for George. But several years later, when George unexpectedly appears in East Hampton, where Lucie is weekending with her new fiancé, Lucie finds herself drawn to George again. Soon, Lucie is spinning a web of deceit that involves her family, her fiancé, the co-op board of her Fifth Avenue apartment building, and, ultimately, herself as she tries mightily to deny George entry into her world—and her heart. Moving between summer playgrounds of privilege, peppered with decadent food and extravagant fashion, Sex and Vanity is a truly modern love story, a daring homage to A Room with a View, and a brilliantly funny comedy of manners set between two cultures.
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A fun romantic comedy. If you enjoyed the author’s Crazy Rich Asian trilogy, this book is right up your alley. Perhaps we can look forward to another trilogy.
Loved…loved…loved
Entertaining
Kevin Kwan’s books are just fascinating! I really love everything about them! They give us “regular people” an insight into a world that I, nor any of my friends, will ever live in. They are uniquely fun to read.
I loved the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and was excited about this new release. It was as fun as expected, with all the drama in the world of the very rich Asians. I enjoyed it and found the heroine very likeable.
This book is about a woman who meets a man at a wedding years ago and then meets him years later as she is about to get engaged. She ends up cancelling her wedding plans and becomes his girlfriend.
Book 131 towards my goal of 290! 2.5/5 stars for this contemporary romance read. I really enjoyed the authors Crazy Rich Asians series, but this one fell flat for me. So much of the book has no tread. It was a long road to a mediocre end. Can’t say I’d recommend this one, but can’t recommend Crazy Rich Asians enough!
This was good but not as good as his first 3 books.
I enjoyed the book. Not as good as the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy but a fun read.
The biggest issue with this book is the title! The title would lead readers to believe that this is a frivolous story about rich people and designer labels when really it is about self acceptance, and the inner challenges of growing up biracial. It is a thoughtful book wrapped in all the fun glitz and glam of Crazy Rich Asians!
Another great Kevin Kwan book. If you liked Crazy Rich Asians you will love this too
I loved this book honestly it was what I expected from him. It reminds me of his other books with the fun foot notes. I think it’s kinda awesome to not only have stuff explained but the fun little jokes he makes as well.
This book was just one of this over the top books with a culture I will never experience. These people are the mega rich and their lives are insane. I really enjoyed everything about this book. It was hard to put down.
Lucy is expected to be a lady and always think of her family and how she behaves at all times. A long wedding vacation takes her to a lovely island full of lavish wedding festivities she finds the oddest people in the Zao family. There is just something about George that she can’t seem to stay away from.
One mistake takes her away from him and back home. Years later she runs into him again and now the circumstances have changed to bad she can’t seem to stay away. The characters in this story are just as over the top and snobby as his other books. This was a book that I keep thinking about.
4 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Support Group
Up All Night With Books Blog
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan who the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians is back and what a tale is told. We are taken on this ethnic world of the rich or should I say extremely wealthy and self privilege world.
We start off with Luci attending her friend’s lavish wedding on the island of Capri and she meets George and the back and forth begins. Compromising positions, stolen kisses, long chats and runs around every corner.
Just a little taste:
she really can’t stand it when he kisses her in the darkness of the ancient ruins of a Roman villa and they are caught by her snobbish, disapproving cousin, Charlotte. “Your mother is Chinese so it’s no surprise you’d be attracted to someone like him,” Charlotte teases
We are taken on this journey of Luci trying to navigate her ownself, her heritage, her lifestyle, and her own beliefs, and dealing with family is never easy.
Very well written. Strong characters. Sometimes things are in the details and this story is one of them, details, details to bring it all together.
I love all of Kevin Kwan’s books – they are delicious and you can get lost in them – plus it’s fun to see how the 000.1% live
Classic updated to crazy-excessive world of the international super rich
4-4.5stars
I enjoyed the story but with a few reservations. I liked E.M. Forster’s classic A Room With a View and this modern twist on Forster’s society romance capitalizes on the strengths of the original story’s plot and distinct personalities. I found it a relatively easy and quick read considering its length.
Kwan has taken the characters and transported them to a whirl of constant socializing among people so extravagantly wealthy that each scene goes to a new level of fantastic excess. In a social clique totally focused on itself, common haunts, designer fashion, elegant cuisine, international travel, galas and the latest new age health kick, heroine Lucy moves with ease yet she’s constantly aware that she’s an oddity whose mixed heritage sets her apart.
No one personifies the status-seeking, one upmanship egoism of this upper class world than Mordecai and Cecil, both of whom are annoying and laughable in their worship of pedigree, fame and wealth. Compared to them, Lucy, her mother and brother, and George and his mother are guileless and really rather down to earth. The best parts of the story for me were the emotion-packed moments when Lucy and George connected. I wish there had been more of them.
This was my first time reading a Kevin Kwan novel. All considered, I would read more by this author though I was more interested in the romance than the constant namedropping.
Thanks to publisher Doubleday and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
My first Kwan read was a hit for me. I was quickly hooked with all the quirky characters and the location. I didn’t even like any of the characters and still I enjoyed this read very much, it was hard to put down. The visuals were amazing, Mr. Kwan writes images so beautifully. We star is one of the most stunning places, Capri Italy. Lucie and her cousin (chaperon) are there for a wedding. Not a normal wedding, no imagine having an endless budget and a need to wow the world type wedding and you’d still to get close. It was a jaw dropping experience. While there she manages to meet a sexy Chinese man, one her family and friends would not approve of. In this world money and status comes trumps love every time. Too bad they keep getting thrown together and the feelings are real, even if not welcome.
Lucie is half Asian and was raise all her life not to let down her family. Avoiding her Asian heritage trying to blend in with her billionaire friends. She’s nasty, racist, a chameleon, who judges all based on her narrow views. I never grew to like her at all.